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Contracts · Missile tracking

Space Development Agency asks industry to shape missile-tracking payloads

Responses are due Dec. 4, ahead of a planned Tranche 4 solicitation with production contracts and partnership opportunities for rapid prototyping and flight demonstrations.

The Space Development Agency issued a request for information on Oct. 20, 2026, seeking industry feedback on upgrades to its Tracking Layer mission payloads and architecture. The Tracking Layer is part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.1

SDA plans to announce a Tranche 4 solicitation

Tracking Layer

Tranche 4 solicitationproduction contractsplanned

Following this RFI and feedback phase

partnership opportunitiesrapid prototypingplanned

flight demonstration(s) of new mission payloads

Space Development Agency, request for information (RFI)

Sources
TGOs tgos.io

Following the feedback phase, SDA plans to announce a Tranche 4 solicitation that includes production contracts alongside partnership opportunities for rapid prototyping and flight demonstrations of new mission payloads.1

SDA wants input on enhancing the baseline system and on new capabilities that could help detect and track more challenging targets across their full flight trajectories.1

Responses are due by noon Eastern on Dec. 4, 2026. Additional details, mission objectives and architecture information are available upon request.1

Industry responses will inform the scope and design of possible short-term on-orbit demonstrations as well as future Tracking Layer tranches.1

Sources (1)
  1. SDA: Request for Information for Tracking Layer Tranche 4 On-Orbit Demonstrations and Operations www.sda.mil
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Contracts · Space

Space Force considers translator satellites for incompatible networks, Breaking Defense reports

Sources told Breaking Defense a wider network overhaul could cost up to $1 billion; five companies already hold prototype awards for translator satellites.

The Space Force is considering translator satellites to connect incompatible optical communications terminals, two industry sources and one former Space Force official told Breaking Defense. The constellation under consideration would have 12 to 13 satellites.1

The Space Force is considering 12 to 13 additional satellites to let incompatible terminals exchange data

Per two industry sources and one former Space Force official

satellites$12-14 million eachcontingent

Sources said the satellites are expected to cost $12-14 million each

wider overhaulup to $1 billioncontingent

the sources said that the overall cost of the wider overhaul could reach up to $1 billion

Reported by Breaking Defense

Sources
TGOs tgos.io

Those sources expect the satellites to cost $12 million to $14 million each. They said the wider overhaul could cost up to $1 billion.1

The mismatch involves SpaceX’s Space Data Network Backbone and missile warning and tracking satellites from the Space Development Agency (SDA) and Space Systems Command (SSC). Industry, former government and current Space Force sources said SpaceX’s proprietary Plaser terminals cannot directly exchange data with either agency’s terminals, which are also incompatible with each other. An SDA official confirmed that its Transport and Tracking Layer terminals are not directly compatible with the Plaser waveform; SpaceX did not respond to the outlet.1

SSC started the Space Exchange Point program on Aug. 13 with prototype awards to five companies. Each award was worth $12 million. An SSC spokesperson said vendors have individual demonstration schedules, with demonstrations planned for next calendar year. SSC declined to comment on the program’s projected costs; its spokesperson gave no ultimate constellation size or deployment schedule.1

If both low- and medium-Earth-orbit constellations adopt SDA’s version 4.0.0 optical waveform standard, Breaking Defense reported, it could avoid adding a third optical terminal payload to the translator satellites. An SDA official said it is under consideration for Tranche 4 but is not yet on contract for any SDA tranche.1

Sources (1)
  1. Breaking Defense: Key Space Force satellites can't talk to each other, likely requiring $1B solution: Sources (Nov. 6, 2026) breakingdefense.com
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Contracts · Cyber infrastructure

DISA seeks cloud identity and access prototype for Department of War

Responses are due Nov. 30 for a commercial identity-management prototype. It would operate across IL5 and IL6 environments.

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is seeking a commercial, cloud-hosted identity and access management prototype to modernize the Department of War’s legacy identity infrastructure.1

DISA seeks solutions to prototype a Next Generation E-ICAM capability

Enterprise Identity, Credential, and Access Management (E-ICAM)

modernize legacy identity infrastructuremodular, cloud-hostedplanned

This effort will modernize legacy identity infrastructure with a modular, cloud-hosted commercial off-the-shelf/software-as-a-service solution operating across IL5 and IL6 environments.

The prototype must address the Federated Identity Provider, Automated Account Provisioning, Master Entitlement Record, and Federation Hub core capabilities.

Response deadline is Nov. 30, 2026, 5:00 p.m. America/Chicago (Monday)

Source: SAM.gov. As of Nov. 7, 2026.

Sources
TGOs tgos.io

DISA is seeking the capability through a prototype Other Transaction opportunity linked to its competitive Commercial Solutions Opening.1–3

The Next Generation Enterprise Identity, Credential, and Access Management (E-ICAM) effort calls for a modular commercial off-the-shelf or software-as-a-service solution. The solution would operate across Impact Level 5 (IL5) and Impact Level 6 (IL6) environments. The prototype must address four core capabilities: Federated Identity Provider, Automated Account Provisioning, Master Entitlement Record and Federation Hub.1

Responses to the Area of Interest are due Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. Central.1

DISA’s Commercial Solutions Opening and any Other Transactions awarded through it are not subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation or its supplements.3

Sources (3)
  1. SAM.gov notice record sam.gov
  2. SAM.gov notice history sam.gov
  3. SAM.gov: DISA Commercial Solutions Opening (HC108425S0001) sam.gov
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